Al-Shabab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia killing at least nine soldiers from the East African powerhouse on Friday.

Kenyan military Spokesperson Col. Paul Njuguna said at least 70 militants were killed during the attack on their base in the southern town of Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border with Somalia.

At least 15 Kenyans soldiers who sustained injuries have been airlifted to Nairobi for treatment.

The extremists launched their attack with a car bomb and machine guns early Friday morning which also killed at least two Kenyan police officers and four seriously wounded when their vehicle struck an IED.

Al-Shabab consistently targets Kenyan troops, who were key in the AU effort that pushed them out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The Al-Qaeda-linked group had control over most part of Somalia before being pushed out.

At least 100 Kenyan troops were killed during a similar attack last year.

The African Union has asked the U.N. Security Council to authorize a six-month “surge” of 4,500 troops to expand offensive operations. The AU troops are expected to withdraw from the troubled nation in 2020.